Sanitary drinking-fountain.



F. JOHNSON.

SANITARY DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21, 1913.

1,103,775. Patented July 14,1914

UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRITZ JOHNSON, OF ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR (3F ONE-HALF TO CORNELIUS ORTGYSEN, OF ENGLEW'OOD, COLGRADO.

SANITARY DRINKING-FOUNTAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14., rain.

Application filed. April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,635.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRITZ JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, county of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Drinking- Fountains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in sanitary drinking fountains, and while it is more particularly designed for use in connection with fowls or poultry, it is evident that it may be made of heavier material and of larger dimensions for use in the case of pigs and other live stock.

In self-feeding fountains of the type referred to, the reservoir is generally provided with a discharge outlet at the bottom of the same, discharging into the drinking-trough, so that, when the level of the water in the drinking-trough is below the discharge opening, water from the reservoir is fed thereto. In fountains of this type, there is provided only one fount or trough, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a substantially rectangular trough having a parabolically shaped elongated reservoir mounted above said trough, with its narrowest portion disposed centrally above said trough and provided with a discharge outlet adjacent its filling end, so that provision is made on both sides of the reservoir for an elongated drinking-trough spaced longitudinally to provide substantially separate fo-unts, and which may also be set on end without discharging the water from the reservoir, the whole arrangement providing a portable sanitary fountain, which may be set on end or moved withoutsplashing or slopping out the contents of the reservoir.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a fountain that is not only durable and eflicient in action, but which is also simple in construction and operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described in the following specification and succinctly pointed out in the appended claims. 1

While the invention is not limited to the exact details, as shown and described, still for the purpose of a full disclosure, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention, in which drawings like characters designate same parts in'the several views, and in which:

Figure '1 is a perspective view of my improved invention. Fig. 2 is a central Vertical longitudinal sectional view, at the filling and discharge end of my improved fountain, the View being fragmentary and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation, with the fountain set on end, which is also its position when being filled or carried. Fig. t is a view in vertical cross section, taken along the plane of the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, but on a reducedscale, and Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation at the filling end of the fountain, the supporting strips 2 being omitted.

1 designates the drinking-trough, which is preferably in the nature of a rectangular elongated pan, where the fountain is made of metal, whichpan is provided with upright supporting arms 2, which may be soldered to the pan at their lower ends and at their upper ends soldered to the sides of the reservoir 3, which is of parabolic construction, having its larger diameter at the upper portion of the reservoir, as at 4;, and tapering to a narrow or restricted lower or neck portion 5, disposed above the center of the drinkingtrough. The forward and rear ends of this reservoir are of similar contour to the body portion, but they are provided with narrow side extensions 6, projecting downwardly and adapted to be soldered or secured to the trough portion. The forward end faces of the lower or restricted end portion may also be soldered to the interior end walls of the pan, as indicated at 7 in Fig. 2, and the lower edge face 8 of the restricted or neck portion 5, which is closed substantially for its whole length, is disposed a slight distance below the top edge of the trough, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4:.

9 designates the outlet or discharge opening for the reservoir, located adjacent the front or filling end of the fountain, which corresponds to the upper end of same when the fountain is placed in a vertical position for carrying or otherwise, as shown in Fig. 8.

10 designates a vent pipe communicating at its lower end with the trough through the opening 11 in the-bottom portion 8 of the restricted neck, and at its upper end this vent pipe 10 is bent forwardly, as at 12, to a position substantially in alinement with the discharge orifice 9. The upper end of this pipe may be secured, as by soldering, to th inside top surface of the reservoir.

13 designates the filling opening for the reservoir, and consists of anoinwardly-ex tending nipple, internally screw-threaded to receive a threaded'plug 14." Extending from the hollow nipple, and preferably forming a continuation thereof, is provided a funnel-shaped member 15, and below said funnel-shaped member is located a hollow semi-conical handle 16, which may be soldered, or otherwise affixed, to the-frontzwall and the bottom .of the funnel-shaped memher, and also acts as a brace for' the flaring wall of the funnel. I

' The inner end of the hollow nipple is preferably turned inwardly, as at 18, having the opening 13 therethrough, so that the face of the inturned portion 18 acts as a. seat for awasher 19' mounted on the inner face of the plug 14- to prevent any leakage when the reservoir is filled and the-fountain placed in operative position.

The operation will be obvious, but may be briefly referred to by the following: When the reservoir is to be filled, the fountain is placed in position, shown in Fig. 3,"and,-

' into the interior of the tank, allowing the water to flow through the discharge orifice 9 until it reaches the level of the bottom 8 of the restricted neck, when the opening 11 will become sealed against the admission of air intot-he reservoir through the pipe 10, so that the drinking-trough cannot overflow,

and the water is automatically fed into the same as it is used up. vVlnle I have thus descrlbed the lnvention, it Wlll be obvious that minor changes might be'inade in the construction and arrange ment of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit vof the invention and without sacrificing any of the vital principles thereof. For instance, the drinking-trough or pan need not necessarily be of oblong or elongated structure, as it may be of other contours, whether squared or rounded, and the fountain might be made 1n smaller orlarger sizes for use with fowls, poultry or even with certain livestock. It is also understood that the 'method of supporting the reservoir above the trough might be modified, and it will be further understood that both the trough and reservoir, instead of being made from sheet metal. or tin, may be of any other suitable material.

What I do claim, however, is:

1. The combination of an elongated open drinking trough; a feeding reservoir mount- 'ed above said trough and extending subsaid reservoir; andmeans" for stoppering' said filling opening.

2. The combination of an elongated open drinking trough; a feedingreservoir mounted above and extending longitudinally of said; trough, said reservoirjrgbei'ng of enlarged volume at its top end'taperingt0 ward its lower portion, providing a restricted neck disposed centrally, along}; said trough, and said restricted neck portion being supported above the bottom of said trough, but below the topedgesof the walls thereof; a filling opening provided in the forward end wall of said reservoir; stoppering means therefor; a discharge outlet formed through said closed bottom at the forward end of said reservoir, and disposed at right angles to said filling opening a vent opening formed through said closed bottom slightly to the rear; and a vent pipe communica'ting'at its lower end withsaid vent opening, and ex tending upwardly within said reservoir to the top of said enlarged portion, thenceextendlng forwardly, and terminating in a plane substantially passing vertically andtransversely through said discharge out-let.

Intestimony whereof, Iaflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. FRITZ JOHNSON. Vitnesses:

Enw. S. STEWART, J. S. GINs'rA.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained ,for five cents each, by addressing-the Gomniissionerof Patents,

Washington, D. G.

provided'with a closed bottom spaced and 

